Diabetes is not a "Killer Disease". But it causes many complications which could be fatal. Being a diabetic does not mean the end of your productive life. In fact, by managing diabetes properly, a diabetic can lead a very healthy and productive life.
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Watch out for Feline Diabetes Symptoms

Does your cat exhibit feline diabetes symptoms like inexplicably losing weight, frequent urination, depression or lethargy? You might want to read further and help your cat live its nine lives well.

"Carnivores have been defined through evolution by eating meat raw - feeding them cooked meat will lead to deficiencies resulting in poor health and ultimately in premature death.”

A disturbing fact about cats is increasing incidence of feline diabetes. Diabetes is extremely serious and hard to manage – a disease that is has become very common in cats and not only in humans. What makes it so common? The species-inappropriate high level of carbohydrates in dry and in some canned foods wreaks destruction on the blood sugar level of a natural carnivore. The blood sugar level rises significantly upon eating of dry food. With chronic hyperglycemia, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas down-regulate, or “burn out,” leading to diabetes.

In order to find out the reason why a large number of cats are being seen with feline diabetes symptoms, and what pet owners can do, Thomas Graves, a former feline practitioner and presently an associate professor and section head of small animal medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine conducted a research that focuses on diabetes and geriatric medicine.

They also found out that cats can have a feline diabetes mellitus, a common endocrine disease, which is the incapacity to produce insulin to balance blood sugar or glucose levels or metabolize the hormone insulin. As a result, the body of the affected cat is unable to manage its blood sugar levels, which can lead to many health problems and even death if it is not treated. There is no cure for this disease, so it is important to have an early diagnosis and treatment for the best results.

Feline diabetes symptoms that owners should watch for are: - weight loss even if the cat continues to eat well, increase or loss of appetite, vomiting, dehydration, severe depression, dehydration, frequent urination, weak back legs, lethargy or problems with motor function, coma, and even death.

Many of the symptoms the cat will exhibit are similar to those that occur in diabetic humans. Should you observe any of the above signs in your pet or any other strange behaviors, you should take the animal to your veterinarian for a thorough examination and a proper diagnosis. Should feline diabetes be discovered, there are different treatment options for your cat, including insulin therapy or other oral medications that can be administered in place of insulin. Credit: By Barasoaindarra (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

Cats with diabetes should be diagnosed right a way. The early stage diagnosis may help it to get better after a change in nutritional habits and treatment with hypoglycemic agents. Weight loss may also be suggested to many obese cats.

There are typical treatments for feline diabetes that involve shots of insulin. If discerned well, the condition is manageable. The insulin decreases the blood glucose levels to a normal value and will be effective for several hours according to the type of the shot and the amount of insulin. The cat may get insulin shots at a frequency of 4 hours or once per day. It is your responsibility as care taker to administer the injection to your pet.

Major feline diabetes symptoms must be kept under regular inspection. The affected creatures must get their insulin shot and they need a habitual check up. The role of the vet is to direct the glucose levels and make a decision regarding the extent of the insulin dosage required. Detecting diabetes in time can prolong your cat’s life.